Base Requirements

• Races: Human, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Bugbear
• Classes: Any
• Ability Requirements: none
• Alignments: Chaotic
• Starting Cash: By class
• Bonus Languages: Chondathian, Sespechian
• Recommended Languages: Chessic, Shaartan, Telpi, Turmic

Proficiencies

• Weapon Slots: By class
• Non-weapon Slots: By class
• Available Categories: By class
• Bonus Weapon Proficiencies: Long Blades Group
• Bonus Proficiencies: Soothsaying
• Required Proficiencies: none
• Recommended Proficiencies: none

Overview: Sespech is a petty barony that broke away from Chondath during the Rotting War. A struggling, chaotic nation, its ruler Baron Thurgar Foesmasher is struggling to hold his nation together and actively recruiting adventurers for Sespech’s “self-defense.” Life is tense in Sespech, a condition that has left its mark on the people of the barony.

Description: All of the peoples of the Vilhon Reach accept the practice of marking their foreheads with small dots of colored chalk. One dot means the character can read, two dots mean they can write, and three dots mean they can use magic.

Aside from the normally expected combat duties; adventurers of Sespech have a very special purpose in the barony: They are expected to maintain a highly visible presence, and the more formidable they seem, the better. Warriors of Sespech favor chain or plate mail armor and a helm with a single blue feather set into it. The blue feather is a decoration that indicates the character’s loyalty to Baron Thurgar Foesmasher.

Nothing is more impressive to Sespechans than a warrior expertly wielding a two-handed weapon, so most of Sespech’s adventurers use two-handed or bastard swords, pole arms of all types, and large battle axes. Shields are obviously discouraged due to these weapon preferences. The very aspect of a warrior of Sespech is strength and readiness. The Baron wants to send the message that he has able warriors at his command.

The people of Sespech commonly wear full-length, dress-like robes rather like a toga. The wizards of Sespech wear hooded capes with these. In most cases, these hoods are overly large and drawn forward to hide the spellcaster’s visage. This custom arises from an ancient Sespechi belief that it is bad luck to look upon the face of wizard.

Role-Playing: The people of Sespech are a chaotic lot, who have gravitated to Sespech because of the secessionist policies of the Baron. They tend to dislike organized governments, and have proud, stubborn, independent streaks.

Each adventurer from Sespech is also ready to fight at a moment’s notice. They are extremely alert in guarding against foes, but this can often degenerate into paranoia. A Sespechan is not a very sociable person, unless he finds people of similar temperaments. After that, he tries his best to convert that person to the Baron’s “cause.”

Special Abilities:

• The adventurers of the Vilhon Reach are so skillful at predicting the outcome of political struggles, military conflicts, and other contests that they have acquired quite a reputation for soothsaying. This knack gives them a -2 bonus to all initiative rolls.
• Since the Baron wants to have well-paid, happy, well-equipped soldiers under his command, each character from Sespech starts out with a free suit of chain mail, a bastard sword or two-handed sword, and an additional 1d20 gold pieces for starting funds.
• The fiery, independent spirit common to the people of Sespech makes it difficult for others to influence their thoughts and actions. So any magical spell from either the Enchantment or Illusion school is less effective when used against these folk. Any saving throw that a Sespechan makes to resist such powers is made with a +4 bonus. This also applies to the priestly sphere of Charm and any other magical spells the DM judges to be an intrusion upon the character’s mind and free will.
• A Sespechan’s strong will carries over to psionics as well. These characters all have a continually operating Tower of Iron Will (as the psionic defense mode).

Special Disadvantages:

• The inability of these folk to commit to anything other than a quest for more profits is not particularly inspiring. Characters built with this kit suffer a -1 penalty to their starting Leadership scores (minimum 3).
• The Baron is loathe to let any of his warriors go adventuring out of the city. A character from Sespech must return to the city once an adventure is over. A character failing to return must pay a hefty bribe (100gp per level).
• Finally, it must be remembered that Sespech broke away from Chondath during the Rotting War. This means that there is no love lost between Chondath and Sespech. Warriors from these two sites have a mutual reaction penalty of -4 when dealing with the other side’s NPCs.
• The same independent streak that makes the people of Sespech resistant to mind-affecting spells makes the use of such spells on others repugnant to them. Sespechan spellcasters are unable to cast spells from either the Enchantment or Illusion schools.

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